Funding ramped up for boating facilities

The grants go towards the development of new boating facilities and improvements to existing infrastructure

Five regional and three metropolitan local governments receive funding

Boat owners throughout Western Australia can look forward to improvements to recreational boating facilities following the allocation of $1.5 million in State Government grants.

Nine projects have been successful in securing funding in the latest round of the Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme (RBFS).

Once again RBFS funding was keenly sought this year, with a total of 18 eligible applications seeking total grant funding of about $4.32 million.

The successful projects will be a significant boost to recreational boat users in metropolitan and regional WA, with significant grants including:

A $700,000 grant for the City of Melville to upgrade the popular Point Walter boating facility by replacing the existing ramp with two new ramp lanes and incorporating a new central finger jetty;

More than $180,000 for the City of Busselton to design and build a new floating finger jetty at Port Geographe, and adding extra ladders to existing finger jetties at the Old Dunsborough and Abbey boat ramps; and

$170,000 towards a new 45-metre public floating jetty at Port Coogee Marina for short stay recreational boat mooring.

Boating facility managers can apply to the Department of Transport for grants of up to 75 per cent of the estimated project cost, with the maximum amount limited to $750,000.

Applications can be made for the planning, construction or upgrade of boat launching ramps, jetties, moorings and new channels that are directly related to a public boating facility.